The midland journal., 1887-06-24
The Farm.
Lecture Before the Grange.


Pursuant to announcement, Mr.. D.
H. Thing, deputy lecturer of the
National Grange, delivered an excellent
discourse in the Grange room of Elkton
Grange on Friday afternoon last. The
funeral of Joshua Jackson unfortunate
ly iuterfered with the meeting, num-
Der of the leading members, feeling
obliged to attend the funeral, which
was at the same hour of the meeting
The lecturer in commencing his re-
marks said he Was confronted there us
every where be had lectured. The
people who ought to learn the facts
which he was about to utter, the. farm
ers, were absent, while those who were
already in possession of this knowledge
were present.
The lecturer gave brief history of
the Grange in its rise and progress, the
objects the organization of the Patrons
of Husbandry had in view; its mode of
operation and the beneficial results
achieved through the National Grange.
The district grange in itself, though
apparently weak and inconsiderable as
power to effect anything of Importance
beyond the immediate neighborhood
or outside of the families from which
it draws its membership, yet like the
rills which have their source in the
distant mountains, as they unite and
flow toward a common centre, their vol
ume and power are constantly augment
ing till they become mighty river,
with power to float on its bosom the
navies of the world.
So it is with the National Grange,
which combines the power OF these far
scattered subordinate, or district and
county oranges, united as State organ
izations aid then as one supreme head
or National Grange. This body is
composed of the masters of the State
G ranges, and is the machinery through
which all operations are directed to in
sure hearing for the farmer before the
national government. From this head
of the farmers organization emanated
the Inter-S State Commerce Bill which
is creating SO much excitement among
railroad companies. The Regan bill
was drawn by the National Grange, and
placed in the hands of Mr.. Regan,
delegate to the lower house of Congress
from Texas, as compliment to, and
acknowledgement of, his adherence to
the interest of agriculture. Through
the instrumentality of the National
Grange this bill was industriously
pushed and a pressure so great brought
upon members of Congress, that they
acknowledged that they must obey or
answer to their constituents. When
the monopolistic interest found that a
law must be enacted by which the
grasping and overriding power of
these powerful corporations could be
restrained, then another bill was pre-
pared, "less Objectionable" and placed
in the hands of Mr.. Cullum, and finally
passed. This is the bill which now
constitutes the Interstate Commerce
Law A commission composed of five
men was created by the Cullum bill
who stand between the law and the
railroads. To defeat the object of the
law through this commission was the
object of the railroad interest in accept
ing the present law in preference to
the bill draw by the National Grange.
The oleomargarine law also had its or 4.
igin in the National Grange, and the pow.
er of the Grange is shown in the passage
of this law in defiance of the strenuous
efforts of the gigantic monopoly of the
millionaires who carry on that counter
felt butter swindle. The National
Grange not only drew the oleomar-
garine law but sent committee to
Washington to look after it. The ex-
penses of that committee were paid by
the National Grange, aud their work
assigned them. Tons of paper were
used in petitions which were sent in'o
every county of every state in the
union. Signatures were procured Of
farmers, through the efforts of DIS
trict Oranges, and this united demand
of the farmers through the length and
U'SoNoh VI WIS Si0ol oouutLy WAS gam
cred into one grand and mighty torrent
by direction of the National Grange
and poured upon the Delegates AMI
Senators who constitute our national
Legislature. They said one to another,
these laws must be passed Inter
State Commerce and Oleomargarine
Bills.-The Oleo bill was passed with
tax of 5 cents per pound, by the
House and sent to the Senate, which
branch of our national legislature is
called the "House of Purses" This
house of purses was naturally opposed
to any law which brought the monopo.
list on political level with the hum
BILE citizen, but something had to be
done. They dare not reject the bill
by fiat negative, so the tax was re-
duced to 2 cents. Congress was on the
eve of adjournment, and conference
of the two houses over the alteration
maant doath tn tho hill and unohooLoI